Summer Fun!

Nags Head, NC

It seems that I don't have down time anymore. I feel like I just go from one event to the next. Does anyone else feel like that? I don't know if it's the period of my life I'm at right now or our society in general but I miss easy breezy summer!!

Court of Honor after Scout Camp. Noah has been growing like a weed!

When Noah went to scout camp this year he took a merit badge class for reptiles. He finished all the requirements except for taking care of a reptile for 30 days. (Who makes that a requirement?!?!) So Emil and I went to the pet store to get a aquarium. We ended up with Sherman.

Emil had all sorts of pets when he was younger. A Scorpion, tarantula, lizards. Thankfully he didn't have any of those since we've been married but he had always wanted a chameleon. 

So I got Sherman for him for his birthday. His is cute but we haven't seen him change colors like they are known for yet. He's little still but he molted about a week after we got him. I was a little freaked out at first until I figured out what was happening. 

Sherman molting

You're not suppose to handle Chameleons because it's suppose to stress them out but Sherman is pretty chill. He likes to climb Noah's arm and it's cool to watch them walk. He's got pretty distinct markings and sometimes they're light and sometimes dark.

We moved around some furniture to get a table for him which left me without a sewing table. Something I was totally happy with because I had a project in mind.

I saw this and really wanted to make it. After my farmhouse table I was feeling pretty confident.

It ended up costing a little over $200. I could have gone a bit cheaper with the top but Emil suggested I go for quality. I did the entire thing by myself. 

Well-Emil did help me cut the top since it was 6 feet long to begin with but I routed (rounded) the edges, sanded, measured, hammered, screwed and painted.

I love it! I was even able to find the same chair as in the picture at Ikea! It's much larger than what I had before and I love that it's basically a table top on 2 bookshelves. It gives me more storage and that's always nice. I'm feeling quite handy these days. Now if I could just find time to use it!

Noah had 2 weeks of band camp in July and we've started back on marching practice 2 nights a week along with Tae Kwon Do which he really enjoys. He's quite busy which is very good for him. He's gotten out of his comfort zone and it's been nice to see him come out of his shell a bit.

Alex & Kirstin

Kirstin has been working long hours. She leaves at 8am and gets home at midnight. It's been hard for her but I'm so proud of her for keeping at it and being a good employee. She has the weekends off and has been busy attending all the Young Single Adult (YSA) activities she can manage. We haven't seen much from her with that. She heard from BYUI last week and they've offered to let her attend the fall track so now we are frantically trying to get everything set up with that. Classes, housing, flights!! It's been crazy these past couple of days and I'm sad that I won't have the extra time in the fall I was planning on with her but I'm excited for her. She's so happy to be going early and she deserves it. She has worked really hard and had a great attitude even when things didn't turn out the way she wanted.

Kirstin & Catherine

Kirstin's best friend Catherine has been staying with us this summer. She is a great girl and it has been a joy to have her sweet smile and cheerful attitude in our home. She works at one if the local farm markets. She's leaving for University of North Carolina -Wilmington next Saturday. We will miss her.

Emil Michael has been working for the Cotton Gin again this summer. They love him there and they pay him well.  He has really gotten into anime art this past year and has gotten quite good. I have seen him doing that more than writing this summer which has surprised me.

Emil had a business trip to DC a couple of weeks ago and so Emil M and I went for a couple of days. He drove up with Emil on Sunday night and Monday Emil M and I walked the mall and went to see

Some of the monuments and the American Indian Museum. By the end of the day I had walked 11 miles! I was exhausted!

I can see Emil M. being a city dweller. He's got just the right balance of quirky for it.

I love the architecture of DC.

I guess most big cities are the same but DC is the one I'm most familiar with.

 

 

The detail and diversity are just awe inspiring to me.

We went to a place called Fogo D' Chao for dinner that night. It was a Brazilian restaurant and if you love meat it was the place to be. They gave you these little disk with green on one side and red on the other and when you wanted some meat you flipped the disk to the green side and the servers would come offer you whatever they had. They were quick too. There were like 15 different types of meat and they would slice it off these long skewers. I did not go hungry enough,, given the cost but it was a very unique experience.

I'm still baking for the Cafe'.  It's been pretty steady through the summer and last week was very busy.  I just bought my plane tickets to take Kirstin to college with my cafe' money so that was good!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Turtle Cheesecake

I may have another business that wants me to bake for them. We will see where it leads....

Enjoy the last bits of summer!